Yes, you CAN …

… wear a bunch of neutrals together, even when they don’t initially seem to “go.” Case in point:the terrific blog Style Underdog, the “personal style diary of the style underdog.” She is unassuming and funny, and I love her blog. (It’s at least partly because her life resembles mine — as she says, “I can’t shop all day, I have carpool duty!”)

But I digress.

I love her blog, because she — like many if not most of the personal-style bloggers out there —

Style Underdog

often pairs pieces together that don’t match. The gray and black sweater, gray skirt, and camel boots are one example. This outfit with the gray and black cape and black jeans (or maybe leggines) and tan booties is another example — it’s the same basic idea, in fact. Both outfits use color in a way that’s fresh and unexpected.

The same outfit with black boots would be more polished, in a way, but also not as interesting. (And here I should also mention Already Pretty, another blog I check daily — she is especially creative in her use of color.)

What rules do you follow slavishly (like a gray and black outfit requires black accessories) and which do you happily abandon?